Tomato coring machine



March 13, 1962 c. K. WILSON ET AL TOMATO CORING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed May 28, 1954 u w s Rmm m 0.6... w Ti WMA l NK Om NW WDHONmmm o IONI Q U00 0 M Q mU M S 6 can 0 \A QHww$ w Cw r O m .J WM 22 I 3m9 N n 5 g E 3 9 mm 2 2. mm 2 mm F vm m3 mm z. w mm N:

m ow 6. 2.. mm mm E on on mm QN m mm mm mm m m Om hm 00 NF mm mm mmATTORNEY March 13, 1962 c WILSQN ET AL 3,024,822

TOMATO CORING MACHINE Original Filed May 28, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2ENVENTOR$ CLIFFORD K. WULSON ROBERT H. MOUNT ROBERT O.JABBUSGH ATTORNEYMarch 13, 1962 c. K. WILSON ET AL TOMATO CORING MACHINE INVENTORSCLIFFORD K. WILSON ROBERT O. JABBUSCH ROBERT H. MOUNT 5 Sheets-Sheet 3Original Filed May 28, 1954 ATTORNEY March 13, 1962 Original Filed May28, 1954 C. K. WILSON ET AL TOMATO CORING MACHINE INVENTO'RS CLIFFORD K.WILSON ROBERT H. MOUNT ROBERT O. JABBUSCH ATTORNEY March 13, 1962 c. K.WILSON ET AL 3,024,822

TOMATO CORING MACHINE Original Filed May 28, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l E FJ ATTORNEY EflZdfiZZ Patented Mar. 13, 1962 3,024,822 TQMATD ZORI'NGMACHINE Ciifford K. Wilson, an Jose, Calif, Robert H. Mount, Hoopeston,111., and Robert 0. .labhnsch, Green Bay, Wis, assignors to FMCCorporation, a corporation of Delaware Original application May 28,1954, Ser. No. 433,064,

new Patent No. 2,862,535, dated Dec. 2, 1958. Divided and thisapplication Oct. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 769,341

2 Claims. (Cl. 146-52) This invention pertains to apparatus forprocessing fruits and vegetables and more particularly relates to animproved apparatus for coring fruit as it is moved through a processingmachine.

While the peeling apparatus of the present invention may be used in theprocessing of a variety of different fruits and vegetables, it isparticularly effective in processing tomatoes. Accordingly, in thefollowing specification an installation adapted for-feeding and coringtomatoes will be disclosed as a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The present application is a division of US. application for patentSerial No. 433,064, filed May 28, 1954, now Patent No. 2,862,535.

An object of this invention is to provide a coring mechanism whichcooperates in a novel manner with an intermittently actuated endlesschain conveyor to core a tomato while it is held in fixed, orientedposition on the conveyor.

Another object is to provide an improved conveying mechanism capable ofholding tomatoes and the like in fixed position as they are carriedthrough a machine and subjected to various processing operations.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent to one skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the tomato peeling machine of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective of one end of the tomato peelingmachine, particularly showing the drive mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section through a coring unit taken along lines 4-4of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken along lines 5'-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken along lines 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary diagrammatic perspective of the coring knifemounting used in the machine of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic perspective of the mechanism for controllingthe movements of the coring knives.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective of the blossom end cuttingmechanism.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along lines 1tl10 ofFIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a vertical fragmentary section taken along lines I111 of FIG.9.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 the reference numeral 15 indicates an intermittentlymoving endless chain conveyor having predetermined period of time in asolution of lye. After leaving the tank 2%), the tomato is carried alongan uncovered, upwardly inclined section 21 of the frame structure 17. Insection 21, which will be referred to hereinafter as the holdingsection, excess lye is drained from the tomato and the tomato is exposedto the atmosphere for a fixed period of time during which the lye on theskin penetrates to the desired depth to effect loosening of the skinfrom the flesh of the tomato body. From the holding section, the tomatopasses into a steam chamber 22 in which steam at atmospheric pressureraises the temperature of the tomato skin to a predetermined optimumpeeling temperature. After leaving the steam chamber 22, the tomato ismomentarily stopped over a coring unit 23 which has a blade movableupwardly through an opening in the conveyor to remove the core from thetomato and sever the skin at the bottom or stem end of the tomato body.Following the coring operation the tomato is moved under a floatingcutter assembly 24 which removes the top or blossom end of the tomato.At this stage, the skin of the tomato has been completely loosened fromthe flesh of the tomato body and has been separated from its connectionsat the stem and blossom ends of the tomato. The tomato is now dischargedfrom the conveyor 15 and drops a short distance onto a skin removingunit 26 where the skin is separated from the flesh of the tomato by agentle pushing and rubbing action.

The support frame 17 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is a welded structure consisting ofa series of spaced vertical channels 3t) defining one side of themachine. Each of the channels St} is directly opposite a similarvertical channel 31 in a line of channels which define the opposite sideof the machine. The channels 39 and 31 are bolted to floor channels 33(FIG. 2) and are connected in conventional manner by suitable transverseand longitudinal braces. Ball bearing pillow blocks 35 are mounted atvarious positions along the frame.

The chain conveyor 15 (FIG. 1) comprises three chains 36, 3'7 and 38which extend longitudinally in spaced parallel relation along the entirelength of the frame 17. Adjacent the loading station 18 the upper run ofeach chain is trained around a sprocket (not shown) which is keyed to atransverse rotatable shaft 40 (FIG. 2). As it travels toward the right,each chain (shown partly in phantom lines) is guided. over a sprocket 4dkeyed to a transverse rotatable shaft 42, then under two idler sprockets43 and 44 which are keyed to rotatable shafts 45 and 46, respectively,over an idler sprocket (not shown) which is keyed to a rotatable shaft48, and around a drive sprocket (FIG. 3) keyed to a drive shaft 51. Thelower run of each chain is held in horizontal position by idlersprockets 52 (FIG. 2). A standard chain tensioning device 53 is usedwith each chain.

To provide a support for the tomatoes as they are carried through themachine, the conveyor chains are fitted with channel-shaped transverseflights 55 (FIGS. 1 and 9) which are riveted to laterally projectingarms 56 of specially designed chain links 57. It will be understoodthat, on each of the outer chains 36 and 38 (FIG. 1), the bent link 57is located on the inner side of the chain with the arm 56 projectinginwardly therefrom, while the middle chain 37 has bent links 57 on bothsides with the arms 55 projecting in opposite directions. Each flight 55is provided with three bored openings 58, 59 and 60 through which thecoring knives are raised to remove the cores from tomatoes temporarilystopped thereover. Around each coring opening there are four equallyspaced holes 61 (FIG. 9) in which the impaling pins 19 are welded.Surrounding the pins 19 is another set of holes 62 which are arranged ina uniform pattern to permit drainage of liquid and which serves as asight gage to facilitate the centering of the tomato on the impalingpins. It will be noted in FiG. 1 that in each flight the openings 58 and59 are adjacent, while the opening 69 in the flight is spaced fromopening 53 but is close to the opening 60 of the laterally adjacentflight. Accordingly, three double rows of impaling pins 19 are formed onthe conveyor flights with the pins in each row being about eight inchesapart.

The conveyor is driven by the drive shaft 51 (FIG. 3) on which the threedrive sprockets 50 are keyed. The shaft 51 is intermittently rotated bya Geneva mechanism 63, the slotted element 64 of which is keyed to theshaft 51 while the driving element 65 is keyed to a continuouslyrotating shaft 66. The shaft 66 is parallel to the shaft 51 and isdriven by an electric motor 67 that is drivingly connected to the shaft66 through a chain 68 trained around a sprocket 70 on the motor shaftand a sprocket 71 keyed to the shaft 66.

At the loading station 18 (FIG. 2) the impaling pins 19 are shroudedbehind a sheet metal guard 72 (FIGS. 1 and 2) adjacent which theoperators stand while plac ing the tomatoes on the impaling pins.

The lye solution tank is a sheet metal structure which extends entirelyacross the support frame 17 and is suitably secured thereto. An opening(not shown) is provided in the forward wall 73 of the tank above thelevel of the lye, aflording an entrance passage for the chain conveyor15. The conveyor 15 carries the tomatoes beneath the surface of the lyesolution and out of the tank through an opening (not shown) in the rearwall 74. The tank 2t) has removable covers 75 which are hinged to atransverse channel 75 of the frame 17. The density of the lye solutionis controlled by means of an automatic density control instrument 77that communicates with the tank through wall 74. To prevent the tomatoesfrom being dislodged as they pass through the lye solution, a woven wirebelt 78 is suspended in the tank above each single row of impaling pins.These belts may be about four inches wide and have suflicient weight tohold the tomatoes on the pins. A steam coil 89 (FIG. 1) is mounted inthe bottom of the tank to maintain the desired temperature of thesolution.

The uncovered section 21 of the conveyor constitutes a holding sectionwhich is of a length sufficient to keep each intermittently advancingtomato exposed to the atmosphere for a predetermined period during whichthe lye penetrates to the desired depth. The section 21 is defined byside walls 81 and 82 and a sloping bottom wall 83 (FIG. 2) which isconnected to the rear wall 74 of the lye tank and is arranged to returnto the tank liquid that drains from the tomatoes.

The steam chamber 22 consists of sheet metal panels secured to frameelements to form a box-like structure. The forward wall 85 (FIG. 3) ofthe chamber is provided with six spaced openings 86 (three only beingillustrated), one opening being in alignment with each single line ofimpaling pins, and each opening being large enough to permit the passageof a pin and a tomato impaled thereon. To prevent the escape of steamfrom the chamber 22, a gate 87 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of flexible material issecured to the inner surface of the forward wall 85 covering eachopening 86. Each flexible gate may be secured to the wall only at itsupper edge so that the gate will fold upwardly and ride over each tomatoas it advances through the opening. Similar flexible gates 88 aremounted on the rear wall 39 of the steam chamber 22 adjacent exitopenings 9i (FIG. 3) through which the lines of tomatoes pass as theyleave the steam chamber. To maintain the temperature within the chamberat a desired level, a series of steam distributing pipes (not shown) arearranged in the steam chamber in such a manner that the steam emergingfrom the pipes at atmospheric pressure does not impinge directly on thetomatoes but is distributed around the tomatoes to provide a steam bathwhich maintains the temperature of the tomatoes at a desirable coringand peeling emperature.

fter each flight of the conveyor leaves the steam chamber it is advancedto a position directly above a coring unit 23. In FIG. 1 three coringunits 23 are indicated in dotted lines, one unit being alignedlongitudinally of the machine with each double row of impaling pins. Aswill be explained presently, each unit 23 has a pair of continuouslyrotating coring knives which are spaced so that each knife is directlybeneath one of the two coring openings provided in the conveyor flightsfor each double row of pins. When the conveyor comes to rest, eachrotating coring knife is moved upwardly through an opening in the flightto engage a tomato and cut out the core.

Each coring unit 23 (FIG. 5) comprises a housing 99 provided by fourside walls 100, 101, 102 and 103 and a top wall 184 (FIG. 6) suitablysecured together, as by welding. Each housing 99 is supported from atransverse channel 106 (FIGS. 2 and 5) to which it is secured by tapbolts 107. In addition, the housing of the coring unit adjacent eachside edge of the frame may be secured to a longitudinal frame member 103(FIG. 2), while the housing of the center coring unit may be connectedby spacer members 169 (FIG. 5) to the adjacent walls of side coringunits.

Two knives 110 (FIG. 6) are provided in each coring unit, each knife 110being secured in a recess 111 (FIG. 7) at the upper end of a coringshaft 112. The shaft 112 is mounted for vertical reciprocation relativeto a sleeve 113 and for rotation with the sleeve 113. Each sleeve 113(FIG. 7) is rotatably supported in the housing 99 by means of a bearingassembly 114 which has an outer race 11115 pressed in a hub 1 16 mountedon the housing, and an inner race 117 secured by the set screw 118 tothe sleeve 113. The sleeve 1 13 is rotated by means of a gear 119 whichis keyed to the sleeve inside the housing. Each gear 119 rests on abearing assembly 120 which is sup ported from an adjacent wall of thehousing by a support bracket 121. The coring knife shaft 112 is slidablyengaged near its upper end in a bushing 122 (FIG. 7) that is pressed inthe upper end of the sleeve 1 13 and, near its lower end, the shaft 112is provided with splines 124 that mate with splines 125 formed in acollar 126 pressed into the lower end of the sleeve 113. In this manner,rotation of each gear 119 will cause rotation of the sleeve 113 withresultant rotation of the collar 126 and the shaft 112 of the coringknife.

Both gears 119 are rotated by a single drive gear 128 (FIGS. 4 and 5)which is keyed to a shaft 129. A bevel gear 130, keyed on the lower endof the shaft 129, is in mesh with a bevel gear 131 carried on the end ofa drive shaft 132 which extends entirely across the housing 99 andthrough the housing walls 1M and 103 (FIG. 5) and is driven from anindependent motor 133 (FIG. 3) through a chain 134 which is trainedaround a sprocket 136 on the shaft 132 and around a sprocket 137 on themot-or shaft.

The splined connection of each shaft 112 with the rotatable sleeve 113permits the shaft to be vertically reciprocated while it is beingrotated. Vertical reciprocation of the shaft 112 is effected through ayoke 140 (FIGS. 7 and 8) which is mounted in the housing 9 and isprovided with oppositely projecting arms 141 and 142, each of whichcarries an apertured hub 145 at its outer end. A reduced diameterportion 146 (FIG. 7) of the knife shaft 112 is disposed in a bearingassembly 148 provided in the aperture of each hub 145 and the knifeshaft is locked in the inner race of the bearing assembly by a nut 149threaded on the lower end of the shaft.

he yoke 140 has a central upstanding T-shaped arm 150 which has anelongated, horizontally disposed slot 151 therein. A stud 152 (FIGS. 4and 8) is secured in the peripheral portion of a gear 153 which isjournaled for rotation on a stub shaft 154 carried at the outer end of abracket 155 that is mounted in fixed position on the wall 102 of thehousing 99. The gear 153 is in mesh with a gear 156 which is keyed to ashaft 157 (FIG. 3) driven by a chain 158 from the continuously rotatingdrive shaft 66. As best seen in FIG. 8, the stud 152 on the gear 153extends into the slot 151 of the T-shaped arm 150 of the yoke 140. Asthe gear 153 rotates, the stud 152 travels back and forth in the slotcausing the yoke to be raised and lowered. Since the conveyor 15 isintermittently advanced by the same drive shaft 66 which intermittentlyraises the yoke on which the two continuously rotating coring knives aremounted, it is evident that the raising of the yoke can be coordinatedwith the movement of the conveyor so that the continuously rotatingknives will be raised through openings in the conveyor flight to coretomatoes thereon while the flight is at rest directly above the coringknives.

While the tomato is at rest above the coring knife and during the actualcoring of the tomato, the tomato is held down by a flat steep plate 159(FIG. 11) which is fastened to the lower surface of a bracket 160 of thecutter assembly 24. As seen in FIG. 3, there are six brackets 160, onedirectly above each single line of impaling pins. Each bracket ismounted in freely pivoting relation on a rotatable shaft 161 which issecured on a channel 161a (FIG. 1) which is mounted transversely of themachine adjacent the rear wall of the steam chamber 22, and the lowerpivoted position of each bracket is determined by the abutment of a rearportion 1600 (FIG. of the bracket against an adjustable screw 162threaded in the channel 161a. After the core of the tomato has beenremoved and the coring knife has been moved to a position below theconveyor 15, the conveyor is moved forwardly, or to the right as seen inFIG. 11, bringing the tomato under a cutter 163 which is rotatablymounted adjacent the outer end of the bracket. The cutter 163 (FIG. 9)is a spool-like structure consisting of two spaced cylindrical portions163a and 1633b connected by a sleeve 165, of reduced diameter, which iskeyed to a drive shaft 166 by a set screw 167. The shaft 166 iscontinuously rotated by means of a chain 168 (indicated in phantom lineson FIG. 9) which is trained around a sprocket 169 keyed to the rotatableshaft 161 and around a sprocket 170 keyed to the drive shaft 166. Theshaft 161 is continuously driven by an electric motor 172 (FIG. 3)through a belt and pulley drive 173. A cutter blade 175 (FIG. 9) ismounted in the flanges 163a and 16312 in a substantially radialposition. At the extreme outer end of each bracket 160 a gaging roller177 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 178 which extends between arms 179and 180. As shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 11, just as the cutterfinishes cutting off the blossom end of the tomato, the tomato iscontacted by the roller 177 thereby preventing the bracket from pivotingdownwardly and causing the rapidly rotating cutting blade 175 to cutinto the rear portion of the tomato. After the blossom end of the tomatohas been severed by the blade 175, the tomato is carried around the endof the endless chain conveyor and is discharged by gravity onto aninclined chute 185 (FIG. 3) from which the tomato drops a short distanceonto an endless belt 186 of the skin removing unit 26.

The construction and operation of the skin removing unit 26 is describedin detail in the above-mentioned application Serial No. 433,064, nowPatent No. 2,862,535.

In summary, at the loading section 18 (FIG. 2) a tomato is impaled stemend down on the pins 1 9 in centered position over an opening in theendless chain conveyor 15. As the upper run of the conveyor is movedintermittently toward the right in FIG. 2, the tomato is carrieddownwardly into and through the lye solution in the tank 20. While thetomato passes through the tank, a wire mesh belt 78 bears on the uppersurface of the tomato to prevent it from being dislodged from theimpaling pins. After leaving the lye tank 20, the tomato isintermittently advanced through the upwardly inclined holding section 21wherein it is exposed to atmospheric conditions for a predetermined timeto permit the lye to penetrate the skin to a depth suifioient tocompletely loosen the skin from the fiesh of the tomato body. The tomatois then moved into the steam chamber 22 where saturated steam raises thetemperature of the tomato skin to a desirable peeling temperature. Thetomato is then carried out of the steam chamber and stopped directlyabove a continuously rotating coring knife which is then raised, bymeans of the yoke (FIG. 7) to penetrate the tomato at the stem end andcore the tomato. The blossom end of the tomato is then removed by therapidly rotating cutter 163 and the tomato is discharged over the end ofthe conveyor onto the skin removing unit 26.

While a preferred apparatus has been described in the presentapplication, it will be understood that it is capable of variations andmodifications within the scope of the invention. It is to be understood,therefore, that the scope of the invention should be limited only by thescope and proper interpretation of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for coring tomatoes or the like comprising a conveyorhaving support means for transporting tomatoes longitudinally along apredetermined path, said support means having a plurality of coringapertures formed therein disposed in longitudinally spaced relationalong said conveyor path, a plurality of impaling pins on said supportmeans surrounding each coring aperture for retaining a tomato over thecoring aperture and for holding it against rotation, means providing aplurality of drain apertures surrounding said pins and defining a visualcentering gauge for a tomato placed on said pins on said support means,a rotary coring knife disposed immediately below said support means,means for intermittently advancing said conveyor a distance equal to thelongitudinal spacing between adjacent coring apertures, and successivelypositioning said coring apertures in alignment with said cutter, meansfor moving said cutter upwardly through a coring aperture alignedtherewith and into engagement with a tomato held by said impaling pins,means for rotating said cutter, and means for lowering said cutter backthrough said coring aperture.

2. Apparatus for coring tomatoes or the like comprising a conveyorhaving support means for transporting tomatoes longitudinally along apredetermined path, said support means having a plurality of pairs ofcoring apertures formed therein, the apertures of each pair being spacedlaterally from each other, and each pair being disposed inlongitudinally spaced relation along said conveyor path, means adjacenteach coring aperture for retaining a tomato over the aperture and forholding it against rotation, a pair of rotary coring cutters disposedimmediately below said support means, said cutters being spacedlaterally of the conveyor from each other by a distance equal to thelateral spacing between the apertures of each pair, means forintermittently advancing said conveyor a distance equal to thelongitudinal spacing be tween adjacent coring apertures to successivelyposition each pair of laterally adjacent apertures directly above saidpair of cutters, a bar disposed below said conveyor support means andextending laterally of said conveyor, means mounting said cutters onsaid bar, and means for reciprocating said bar vertically toward andaway from said conveyor support means to raise said cutterssimultaneously through the pair of coring apertures thereabove, saidreciprocating means including a driven member connected to said bar andhaving a horizontal slot therein, a drive pin disposed in said slot, andpower actu ated means for moving said pin in a circular path.

(References on following page) 7 3 References Cited in the file of thispatent 1,923,712 Deitz Aug. 22, 1933 UNITED TATES PATENTS 7 D i PT- 7 S2,258,035 Sjostrom Oct. 7, 1941 1717,827 AYQTS June 18, 1929 2 7 037Carter 9 195 1,737,087 Horstmaml 2 2 5 2 35 294 Rigney May 20 1951,762,438 Hamilton et a1 June 10, 1930

